International franchises have taken off in the past decade in Vietnam, with signs of some of the world’s most well-known consumer brands lining the streets and shopping centers of major cities. While franchising has become a common form of business in Vietnam, the country’s laws in this area are in a relatively early stage, which can lead to uncertainties for many businesses wishing to operate a franchise system in Vietnam.

In Thailand, many of the world’s most successful franchise models have established themselves to cater to the sophisticated Thai consumer.

Thailand caught the cannabis industry by surprise in January this year when it became the first Asian country to legalise medicinal cannabis, while at the same time restricting foreign participation in the industry for at least the first five years and thwarting cannabis-related patent applications.

Intellectual property litigation attorneys, especially those in the patent field, are always looking for verdicts that can be viewed as landmarks in the interpretation and practical application of Vietnam’s laws and regulations. One such verdict was issued by the People’s Court of Binh Duong Province on July 17, 2019, in a patent infringement case between a European pharmaceutical company and one of Vietnam’s largest manufacturers of generic drugs.